In her last race as a professional skier, the decorated Sadie Maubet Bjornsen came out as the top American in the 2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships 30k classic race, finishing in 15th place.

It was another warm day for the conclusion of the women’s races in Oberstdorf, Germany, with temperatures hanging in the upper 30 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day. But the weather didn’t hinder Therese Johaug of Norway, who won gold in a striking fashion, crossing the line more than two and a half minutes ahead of her teammate Heidi Weng. Frida Karlsson of Sweden took bronze.

Capping off an impressive decade-long career that included nearly 200 World Cup starts, two Olympics, six World Championships, 12 World Cup podiums and a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships, Maubet Bjornsen skied well, sticking with the lead pack for the first three laps, until a ski exchange halfway through the race didn’t work to her advantage. “I had many kilometers of celebrating!” she laughed. “It was the hardest 30k I’ve ever done. Nothing like going out on that to remind you how hard this sport is… But I feel really stoked about my first 15k and that’s a good memory to leave—feeling like one of the strongest girls climbing that monster hill.”

Maubet Bjornsen is retiring to spend time at home and pursue an accounting career after receiving her degree from Alaska Pacific University. Living on the road and out of a suitcase is hard, and the ski racer is looking forward to a life in Alaska with her husband Jo, but she would never trade the 10+ years on the World Cup circuit with her teammates. “I definitely feel really grateful for my whole career,” she said. “This last week was definitely really special—the relay was certainly the highlight of the week. It’s good to finish on a really hard note too, pushing through 30k. I’m thankful for my whole career.”

Hailey Swirbul finished 26th—her best individual finish in her first World Championships appearance. And she was thankful to have been able to race with her teammate and mentor one last time. “I’m happy with my day,” she said. “I had a pretty fast start and I got to ski with my teammate Sadie for a brief moment there in her last race as a professional, so that was really special. In the 30k, there are so many deaths and revivals, you just have to keep going. And I went through a couple of those and was very relieved to see the finish line. I’m proud of our team today, some good fighting.”

Hailey also reflected on Maubet Bjornsen’s retirement—the 22-year-old skier grew up idolizing athletes like her as she climbed the ranks in her career to make the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. “I grew up with them on a poster on my wall that’s still there today, wearing yellow puffy jackets from like 2011,” she said. “They inspired me then and they inspire me now. Wherever they go next in life is so lucky to have them, and I’m lucky that we got to have them for this part of their lives. They’re pretty amazing.”

Sophia Laukli, who also races for Middlebury College, was 28th—her third top-30 result in her first World Championships appearance. “I’d never done a 30k, so I wasn’t sure how to pace it, but I never blew up,” she said. “It was a lot of solo skiing, which was a bit tough, but I’m pretty happy with how it went. My body was definitely getting pretty fatigued at the end, but I never felt like I was about to bonk. At the finish I was definitely tired, but I didn’t feel like I totally ruined myself. Definitely, a learning experience and there’s a lot I can improve on.”

Rounding out the Americans, Katharine Ogden finished 37th.

There’s just one final race of the 2021 World Championships, with the men racing the 50k classic on Sunday. The women next head to Engadin, Switzerland for a 10k classic and 30k skate World Cup.

RESULTS
Women’s World Championships 30k classic

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, March 7
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Tuesday, March 9
12:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, NBCSN

Middlebury College’s Erik Arvidsson—the 2016 World Junior Downhill Champion—staked his claim on the FIS Ski World Cup on Saturday, finishing eighth to lead two Americans into the top 10 in Saalbach, Austria’s downhill. 

Unfortunately, Friday's downhill was canceled after nine racers, just before Jared Goldberg, when thick fog and snow rolled in. Saalbach was a replacement for the Wengen and Kvitfjell speed races, which both had to be canceled due to Covid-19. The weather cleared for Saturday’s downhill, and despite the fact that the track was a bit bally, the conditions were surprisingly good given Friday’s weather. 

Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr showed his strength with his fourth-straight speed victory, though his first downhill victory since 2019. Switzerland’s Beat Feuz was second, just .17 seconds off Kriechmayr’s pace, with Austrian Matthias Mayer in third, .27 seconds out. 

Bryce Bennett, who was testing some new skis in the training runs, went back to his normal set-up for race day and had a solid run, skiing confidently and snagging a top-10 result on the day—the final downhill prior to World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The top 25 athletes from each discipline get a start at World Cup Finals, and with his finish, Bennett moved up to 19th in the downhill ranking.

Arvidsson, who came into the weekend fresh off his second Europa Cup downhill victory, started bib 34 to finish eighth, with an astounding run. As teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle said in his Instagram story, Arvidsson got his first World Cup points, first top 20, first top 15, and first top 10 all in one day. This success is not necessarily surprising to those who have followed Arvidsson’s trajectory. As the 2016 World Junior downhill champion in Sochi, Russia, Arvidsson has a natural touch and is an incredibly gifted athlete. In 2018, Arvidsson decided to take an unconventional path that worked well for him, attending Middlebury College and getting some valuable experience. It more than paid off. 

Following the first training, Arvidsson mentioned to the coaches that he felt he could be top 15 on the Saalbach track. “Obviously today was pretty incredible for me, I never could have imagined that I could have had a result like this at the beginning of this season, but going into the week, the momentum has definitely been building,” reflected Arvidsson. “In the first training run, I felt like I could pull it together on this hill and put down a good run. The top is really technical and has a lot of turns, which definitely suits my style, and I just had to clean up some things on the flats, and I was able to do that today and put together a good run.”

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team head men’s speed coach Randy Pelkey, who coached Arvidsson at the development level for three years and coached him to that gold in Sochi at World Juniors, was eager to take him in as an invitee, knowing his potential. “His progression this year has been to get quality repetition on speed skis while keeping the GS going,” commented Pelkey. “We made a several-year plan and he has been taking the steps to learn and improve every chance he gets. We are still focused on the process and enjoying that process.”

Arvidsson is thankful for the opportunity, and the work the U.S. Ski & Snowboard staff has done this season. “I’m really, really happy and super thankful to the whole team and my service guy, and all of the coaching staff for all of the work they’ve put in this year,” he added. “I’m definitely going to enjoy it and see what we can do tomorrow too.” 

 

 

 

 

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Travis Ganong and Jared Goldberg also started for the Americans but finished outside of the 30. Sam Morse, who had solid training runs, was having a great run with top 25 splits but he DNFed. He is OK. 

Feuz leads the downhill standings with 486 points over Mayer, with 418 points. Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt (869 points) closed the gap that France’s Alexis Pinturault (1,034) has in the overall race to 165 points. For the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, Cochran-Siegle ended up ranked 14th in downhill, followed by Ganong in 18th, Bennett in 19th, and Goldberg in 23rd. 

Up next for the men is super-G on Sunday to close the weekend in Saalbach, Austria. 

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

STANDINGS
Overall
Downhill

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST. 

Saturday, March 6
11:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men’s Downhill - same-day broadcast, Saalbach, AUT, Broadcast NBCSN
12:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Slalom - same-day broadcast, Jasna, SVK, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, March 7
3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Giant Slalom, run 1- LIVE, Jasna, SVK, Streaming Peacock
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men’s Super-G - LIVE, Saalbach, AUT, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Giant Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Jasna, SVK, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock
11:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Giant Slalom - same-day broadcast, Jasna, SVK, Broadcast NBCSN

Two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin showed the world that she belongs on the top step of the podium, prevailing over rival Petra Vlhova on her home turf at Jasna, Slovakia, to grab her 45th career FIS Ski World Cup slalom victory on Saturday at Jasna, Slovakia. 

Despite the fact that weather came in on Friday, forcing organizers and the International Ski Federation (FIS) to invert the program, with slalom on Saturday and giant slalom on Sunday, Shiffrin showed she could go with the flow and roll with the punches. A relatively straight, simple course set the first run did not play to Shiffrin’s strengths, but she was able to hang in there first run, finishing .27 seconds off of hometown hero Petra Vlhova. Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener skied with confidence and power and was sitting in third, four-tenths off the pace. 

The recently crowned world champion, Austria’s Katharina Liensberger, was fourth, .91 seconds back. Paula Moltzan, who started bib 26, had a super solid first run, skyrocketing from bib 26 to sixth, in podium contention. Running 25th second run, Moltzan made some impressive recoveries in the second run and held on to finish with yet another solid, top-15 result—her third top-15 slalom result this season.

It was a thrilling second run, with Liensberger coming down with a big lead, then Holdener besting her with a nearly-second lead...and then all eyes were on Shiffrin. Shiffrin took advantage of the more technical second run set, showing a renewed sense of confidence and fire right out of the gate, in the green the first two splits, then in the red, in the green again narrowly, and carrying that momentum down to the finish and across the line, into first by .52 seconds. She kept fans on the edge of their seats, taking risks with a great recovery through the last flush and keeping it exciting all the way down. As she crossed the line, Shiffrin looked up at the scoreboard and smiled, with relief. The pressure was on for Vlhova, and she couldn’t hold her lead, losing time all the way down, crossing the line .34 seconds back, settling for second-place in front of her home crowd. 

“It was just a really good day, a really good hill, and good course sets to attack...actually I was a little bit disappointed after the first run because I felt like my start was really strong but I was losing my momentum and my determination as I went down the course,” Shiffrin explained. “Of course, I wanted to be fast all the way down through the finish, and I was starting to slow down a little bit. In the end, I wasn’t too far off Petra, so I thought...anything is possible for the second run, but the most important thing was that I wanted to have a feeling that I was pushing all the way from the start to the finish. I did that.”

Shiffrin had the fastest second run by nearly four-tenths, clearly skiing with confidence and back to her winning ways. She will try to take this mentality with her through to the finish of this unprecedented 2020-21 season. “I was really excited during my second run—both while I was skiing it and when I went through the finish—I was really excited, even before Petra skied. I didn’t know how she was going to do, and she could still win the race, but I thought to myself, ‘Ok, yeah—I can be proud of my day, and especially that second run.” 

Saturday's victory marked Shiffrin's 45th career slalom victory, one shy of the record for most World Cup wins in a specific discipline: 46 by Ingemar Stenmark in the giant slalom. It was also her 69th career victory.

In the tight race for the slalom globe, Shiffrin is now a mere 45 points behind Vlhova (480 points), with 435 points. Liensberger is on Shiffrin’s heels with 410 points, with three World Cup races to go on the calendar. With her second-place finish on Saturday, Vlhova has closed the gap to current World Cup overall leader, Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami to 107 points. It’ll be a literal race to the finish at the World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. 

Nina O’Brien, Lila Lapanja, and Katie Hensien also started for the Americans but did not qualify for a second run. AJ Hurt was having a blazing fast run from bib 51, sitting in 16th at the third split, before going out and DNFing. She is OK and will now travel to Bansko, Bulgaria for the FIS Ski World Junior Championships. 

Up next for the women is a giant slalom on Sunday to wrap the weekend. 

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

STANDINGS
Overall
Slalom

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST. 

Saturday, March 6
11:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men’s Downhill - same-day broadcast, Saalbach, AUT, Broadcast NBCSN
12:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Slalom - same-day broadcast, Jasna, SVK, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, March 7
3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Giant Slalom, run 1- LIVE, Jasna, SVK, Streaming Peacock
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men’s Super-G - LIVE, Saalbach, AUT, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Giant Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Jasna, SVK, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock
11:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Giant Slalom - same-day broadcast, Jasna, SVK, Broadcast NBCSN

Simi Hamilton, David Norris, Scott Patterson, and Gus Schumacher teamed up to represent the United States and post the best 4x10k relay finish in decades for the Americans, finishing eighth in Friday’s event at the 2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany.

“I’m super proud of our team,” Hamilton said. “We put together four really good, consistent legs. Our skis were awesome...and that was the most fun relay I have ever skied on the World Cup or World Champs.”

Norway dominated again, winning their 11th-straight World Championships team relay gold medal dating back to the 2001 World Champs in Lahti, Finland. In fact, Norway has won the gold 19 times in the history of the event at World Championships. The RSF team took the silver, and France skied to the bronze medal. 

Much like the past World Champs, Norway won again in dominating fashion, as Johannes Klaebo simply toyed with Alexander Bolshunov during the fourth and final leg. Entering the last three laps of the race with a sizable advantage, Klaebo skied at a comfortable pace, allowing Bolshunov to catch him. 

Both men had a sizable advantage over the second group consisting of France, Sweden, and Switzerland heading into the third and final 3.3k lap. Coming into the stadium with one climb remaining, Klaebo passed Bolshunov around a sweeping right turn and dictated the pace up the final climb. Near the top, he attacked and Bolshunov could only watch him glide away to yet another gold.

The Americans had a battle in their own right, moving up from 12th early in the race, into the top 10 on the second classic leg by Scott Patterson. Hamilton skied a solid third leg and tagged off to Schumacher to finish it off.  On the second of his three laps, Schumacher attacked a group that included Germany’s Friedrich Mock, and Canada’s Remi Drolet. With Japan’s Keishin Yoshida and Jan Pechousek of the Czech Republic dangling a few seconds behind. That effort pulled the German into a one-on-one battle with the 2020 Junior World Champion.

“It was fun to just feel like I had some fight to give,” Schumacher said. “I knew (Mock) was a really strong skater and distance skier, and especially on the climbs, so I strung out a (few), but I didn’t want to lead so much. I knew if I was leading I could control the pace a little more, so I kept it more in my zone.”

“In my mind, if I would have made it to the top of the climb with him, I think I could have beat him to the line, but I wasn’t able to close the door enough,” he added. Schumacher dug deep and finished strong for the American’s on another crazy weather day with moderate to heavy wet snow falling throughout the race.

“It was a crazy, bizarre, different day with the conditions,” Hamilton said. “You never really knew what to expect when you wake up and it’s just 32 (degrees) and dumping (snow) all day.”

Up next, the women compete in the 30k mass start classic. Starting for the Davis U.S. Cross Country team are Katharine Ogden, Hailey Swirbul, Sophia Laukli, and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, who will close out an illustrious 11-year professional career tomorrow that has included six World Championships, two Olympic Winter Games, and 12 World Cup podiums.

RESULTS
Men’s 4x10k relay

HOW TO WATCH
Friday, March 5
11:30 p.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 4x10k relay - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, March 6
6:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
10:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Sunday, March 7
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Tuesday, March 9
12:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, NBCSN

Faye Gulini battled her way to a third-place finish on the second day of competition in Bakuriani, Georgia on Friday, marking her third podium in five World Cup starts this season.

“This was one of those races where you had to be a bully, put it all on the line, and not take no for an answer,” said Gulini. “It was fun, exhausting, and interesting. In most races, I’m able to pick out what is consistently working and use that to my advantage, but today was not that way.”

Following a strong third-place performance by teammate Lindsey Jacobellis on Thursday, the U.S. Snowboardcross Team circled up to strategize ahead of day two. 

“We did a lot of video review after yesterday’s competition and it was really interesting,” said Gulini. “We found areas where certain individuals could make good passes, but the same technique wouldn’t work for other athletes. It was actually a little confusing, but we were able to narrow it down and get some good beta to apply to today’s snowboarding.”
 

While it may be a mystery as to what is exactly is discussed in those meetings, whatever it is is working. The U.S. Snowboardcross Team has amassed seven World Cup podiums this season with Gulini headlining the effort for the Americans. Gulini is ranked third in the FIS Snowboardcross Cup standings behind Czech Republic’s Eva Samkva in first and Italy’s Michela Moioli in second. 

“I’m super happy with my riding and my results this season. I think I’m at the highest level I have ever been riding at and I really want to carry this momentum forward to close out this season strong. Then hopefully, moving into the Olympics, I can be confident and fast on my snowboard.”

Great Britain’s Charlotte Banks won the event followed by France’s Chloe Trespeuch in second. U.S. Riders Jacobellis and Stacy Gaskill finished in seventh and ninth respectively. 

For the men, veteran and 39-year-old Nick Baumgartner led the way for the U.S. finishing in fifth, signaling his best result of the season. 

“Getting old and slowing down happens to every athlete and I’ll be no exception,” said Baumgartner jokingly. “My season hasn’t been the best so I’m sure people didn’t look at me as a threat. I can’t even begin to explain how awesome it feels to crush it when the competition counts you out.”
 

WATCH THE REPLAY ON PEACOCK
 

RESULTS
Women’s Snowboardcross Finals
Men’s Snowboardcross Finals

CUP STANDINGS
Women’s Snowboardcross
Men’s Snowboardcross Finals
 

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Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie won slalom gold at FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships in Bansko, Bulgaria on Friday, becoming the first American male to win the title since veteran teammate and downhiller Steven Nyman in 2002 in Sella Nevea, Italy. 

Vermonter and Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) alumnus Ritchie was the 2019 silver medalist at World Junior Ski Championships at Val di Fassa, Italy, and recently grabbed a career-best 13th-place at World Championships at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. He was a clear favorite coming into Friday’s race. On a perfectly prepared track with a course set by head men’s development coach Sasha Rearick, Ritchie capitalized on the conditions and ended up tied in first with Switzerland’s Fadri Janutin. 

The pressure wasn’t a problem for Ritchie, who kept his composure and skied a solid second run, crossing the finish line in the lead by seven-tenths of a second over Austria’s Joshua Sturm, who would end up with bronze on the day. Switzerland up next, but Janutin couldn’t catch Ritchie, and crossed the finish line .48 seconds behind Ritchie to settle for the silver medal. 

“It feels really good. A couple of years ago I was in second place...I wasn’t expecting that result...and then last year, unfortunately, things got canceled so I’ve been waiting for a long time and it feels good to come through when the pressure’s on,” reflected Richie. Ritchie, who has been focusing on a full World Cup and Europa Cup schedule this season, felt a different kind of pressure skiing amongst his peer group in Bansko, but he was stoked to live up to the challenge. 

“It was a different feeling for me, this year I’ve been racing a lot of World Cups and Europa Cups,” Ritchie said. “It's different being the favorite here versus not being the favorite at some of those races, so I was really happy to be able to come through and take the win with that.” What did he do to ease the pressure? “I just relaxed and tried to pretend it was a training day, which is pretty hard to do sometimes, but I tried to relax and ski it like any other day,” he continued, in his calm and cool demeanor. 

This title has been a long time coming for American men. Prior to Ritchie’s silver in 2019, AJ Ginnis—who now skis for Greece—was the last World Juniors slalom medalist, with a bronze in 2015 in Hafjell, Norway. The last American male to win the World Junior Ski Championships slalom title was none other than veteran downhiller and teammate Steven Nyman, with his surprise victory in 2002 in Sella Nevea, Italy. Rearick told Ritchie after the race that the men’s downhill team was “super fired up” and asked if he was excited to join the downhill team. “No, I won’t be joining (the downhill team) anytime soon...I’m not a downhiller. Yeah, that’s about it...I’m no downhiller,” Ritchie replied with a laugh.

“I’m not a downhiller.”—Ben Ritchie, on his WJSC Slalom Title and the fact that downhiller @Steven_Nyman was the last American male to win a @fisalpine World Junior slalom title in 2002. 🤣🤘

Ben knows what’s up...slalom is where it’s at. #zickzack #Bansko2021 pic.twitter.com/oGYLD4b3Hu

— U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) March 5, 2021

Also starting for the Americans were Isaiah Nelson, who was 17th fastest after the first run, but did not finish the second run, Cooper Puckett, who also DNFed the second run, and Bradshaw Underhill, who DNFed in the first run. 

Slalom on Friday concluded competition for the men at the 2021 World Junior Ski Championships. What’s next for Ritchie? “Next is a little bit of training, and then Kranjska Gora World Cup, and then Europa Cup Finals and World Cup Finals...I’m really excited to go to Lenzerheide. It’s a really good opportunity to score some points, maybe even some FIS points...who knows,” he said. 

Up next, the women head to Bansko and will kick off competition on March 8, with the super-G. Live timing will be provided by FIS. Fans can also watch all of the action, live-streamed on Bansko’s Facebook page. 

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

WATCH THE SLALOM REPLAY
Bansko Facebook Page

BANSKO 2021 COMPETITION SCHEDULE
March 8  – Women's super-G
March 9  – Women’s giant slalom
March 10 - Women’s slalom

MORE INFORMATION
Bansko 2021 Official Website

FOLLOW THE LAND ROVER U.S. ALPINE SKI TEAM
Instagram - @usskiteam
Facebook - @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter - @usskiteam

Some days the team effort means so much more than the actual race result. Thursday was one of those days as the U.S. Women finished fourth—for the fourth time in a World Championships team relay event—in Oberstdorf, Germany, at the 2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships.

Norway skied away from the RSF team by 26 seconds to win the gold medal for the fifth time in the past six World Championships. However, the U.S. was oh so close to that elusive World Championships team relay medal until Finland’s Krista Parmakoski passed Jessie Diggins heading up the final climb, and held off the gritty American at the line to seal the bronze medal for Finland by just 0.8 seconds. 

“The relays are the highlights and why I’m still skiing racing,” said Sadie Maubet Bjonsen, who skied the second classic leg. “I think it’s so cool to see everybody give every bit that they can, and today our goal was to not be able to see when we were passing off to the next person because we had boxed ourselves so much—as the kids would say—and we did that 100 percent. 

“Of course, we were shooting for a medal, and for about six championships in a row, we knew it was possible if we had all the ducks lined up, but part of the game is getting those ducks lined up, and that is why we keep coming back and fighting,” she continued.

The U.S. opened the fight with Hailey Swirbul skiing her first World Championship team relay at the elite level. Swirbul, who was part of the historic U.S. Junior women’s World Championships bronze medal-winning relay team in 2017, tagged off to Maubet Bjornsen in the eighth position, just 14 seconds back of the Czech Republic team, with Norway and RSF in second and third.

Maubet Bjornsen pulled the U.S. Team into a bronze medal battle as Norway and Russia kept the pace high at the front of the race. Tagging off to Rosie Brennan for the third leg, the Americans were in the medal hunt, however, Finland’s Riitta-Liisa Roponen Germany’s Pia Fink marked Brennan’s every move.

“We’re gritty racers, and we’re aggressive races, and that was our card to play today and we all did that,” Brennan said. “Some days that pans out, and some days you just can’t drop those clingers. But that is what is so cool about this team, and that is something that I am very proud of and I know those young girls back home were watching this and are going to want to race the same way.”

Brennan tagged off to Diggins for the fourth and final leg, but just like Roponen, Parmakoski clung to Diggin’s every move and made her move on the final climb.

“I played the only card I had and I knew I had to ski twice as hard as the girls that were with us, and I did my absolute damndest to drop them in the only place I thought I could, and I am really proud of that effort,” Diggins said. 

“It’s heartbreaking to come that close to a medal and know that fitness-wise, we are so there, and that is what is really encouraging because that is the only part that we can really control is that coming into World Championships knowing that our fitness is there, our minds are there, our tactics are there, and most importantly, that we are gritty enough,” Diggins added. “That was an absolute championship performance from every member of this team and not just those of us who were racing, but those who weren’t racing. It’s heartbreaking to come that close and know that we’re there, but also that is part of the sport.”

For Swirbul, the experience will have a lasting impression. “It was so exciting for my first World Champs—or World Cup—relay,” Swirbul said. “I’m so proud to be part of it and it’s a weird feeling because we are expected to feel sad about finishing fourth, but I feel really proud of this team and how everybody did—and now I’m crying.”

RESULTS
Women’s 4x5k relay

HOW TO WATCH
Friday, March 5
7:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x10k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock
11:30 p.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x10k relay - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, March 6
6:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
10:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Sunday, March 7
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Tuesday, March 9
12:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Lindsey Jacobellis, the winningest snowboardcross rider of all time, earned her 55th World Cup podium on Thursday, finishing third at the inaugural Bakuriani World Cup in Georgia. 

Jacobellis enjoyed the course at Bakuriani as it reminded the veteran rider of the “old days” competing in snowboardcross.

“I was really happy that this course catered to more than just the person who won the start,” said Jacobellis. “There were times where I won the start but ended up getting passed in the end. It makes you have to work from top to bottom and it’s not just suited for one style of rider. The course had a lot of turns that meant we needed to carry speed. It has a lot of transitions you needed to match and there are multiple drafting opportunities. It felt like the old days, honestly.”

This sentiment played out in a stacked big final where Jacobellis was matched up with Olympic Champions Michela Moioli of Italy, Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic, and rising star Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau of France.

“In the finals, I didn’t have a great start so I strategically hung back,” Jacobellis reflected. “I knew the last two big turns would carry all the speed into the final stretch. I wanted to do those really well in hopes that the front of the pack would be battling, maybe bumping into each other, and losing some speed. When I exited turn eight, I got stuck on the left side of Michela (Moioli). I was just happy to get on the podium after coming from behind.”
 

Samkova topped the podium in first place and Perreira De Sousa was second. U.S. Snowboardcross Team members Faye Gulini, Stacy Gaskill, and Meghan Tierney finished seventh, ninth, and 13th respectively. 

For the men, Eliot Grondin of Canada won the event, Lukas Pachner of Austria finished second, and Lorenzo Sommariva of Italy rounded out the podium in third. U.S. rider Nick Baumgartner earned his best result of the season, finishing 11th. Teammates Senna Leith and Hagen Kearney finished 15th and 17th respectively. 

Moving into the final race of the program on Friday in Bakuriani, Jacobellis will lean on her wisdom in hopes to add to her World Cup podium streak. 

“Moving into tomorrow I learned I should trust my experience,” she said. “I definitely have had a little trouble with that lately with the style of courses that have been common over the last couple of the years. They have been shorter with not enough length to execute my strengths. It’s a longer course than what we are used to and gives us an opportunity to capitalize on someone else’s mistake as well as gives you a chance to come back if you make a mistake.”
 

WATCH THE REPLAY ON PEACOCK
 

RESULTS
Women’s Snowboardcross Finals
Men’s Snowboardcross Finals
 

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Following yet another historic performance at 2021 FIS World Ski Championships at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy for two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion, Mikaela Shiffrin's emotional journey back to the top was featured by sportswriter Greg Bishop in Sports Illustrated.  

In the piece, Bishop writes,

There were months where Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t want to ski, mixed with weeks where she wondered if she could. There were times, too, that she couldn’t, even if she wanted: canceled events, weather delays, race postponements, a 10-month break, a savage back injury and an unending global pandemic. She needed to grieve. Needed to move forward. Needed to look back. Some days, she wasn’t sure which one. Some days, she tried all three.

She thought about all that at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships last month, after her first race, the Super-G, had netted a bronze medal that meant something different than any race she had ever won. “I don’t know how to explain it,” she tells SI, over the phone, from Europe. “It’s more of a symbol of, like, I’ve always been good at focusing. But over the last year, that’s something I’ve had to relearn. And it’s still not always there, right?”

She thought about all that at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships last month, after her first race, the Super-G, had netted a bronze medal that meant something different than any race she had ever won. “I don’t know how to explain it,” she tells SI, over the phone, from Europe. “It’s more of a symbol of, like, I’ve always been good at focusing. But over the last year, that’s something I’ve had to relearn. And it’s still not always there, right?”

This is Mikaela Shiffrin attempting to make sense of Mikaela Shiffrin, an athlete as dominant and introspective as any on the planet—and one who confronted an even more difficult 2020 than her peers. She’s dominant, usually, in the technical, clinical sense—a ski-racing cyborg who also thinks deeply about her life and her performances. Meaning she’s not at all an actual machine—she just plays one on TV screens, barreling down mountains, winning races at a faster clip than anyone ever in her sport. But, “I was never really the athlete who made those heroic moments happen,” she says. “I always just relied on really, really solid preparation, a very methodical process. And then I pulled out a performance like that [in Italy], where, if I were somebody else, I would have felt an incredible inspiration watching it.”

Shiffrin, who has won an otherworldly career 14 medals in 18 events at the world championship and Olympic starts, has found the joy and confidence, once again, after a traumatic year. She's found her way back to the top...and she's working on becoming an even better version of herself. Her journey to Bejing 2022 is not one you're going to want to take your eyes off...stay tuned. 

Read the full article on SportsIllustrated.com. 

ASPEN SNOWMASS, Colo. – March 4, 2021 – Aspen Snowmass, in collaboration with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club (AVSC), will host the 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships from April 5-16 at Aspen Highlands. The event will include men’s and women’s downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and alpine combined. 

The U.S. Alpine Championships will take place after Highlands has closed for public skiing this season and restrictions will be in place to ensure compliance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

“The Aspen Snowmass community has been a strong supporter of alpine ski racing for over 60 years hosting events at all levels,” says Eric Webster, Director of Events, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team. “We are excited to partner with Aspen Snowmass and AVSC this spring to host the U.S. Alpine Championships. Thank you to Aspen Skiing Company, AVSC, and the Aspen community for making these races possible.”

Aspen was originally set to host the 2021 NorAm Cup Finals from April 5-16, though COVID-19 and travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada forced the removal of the event from the schedule. Aspen was quick to step up, expressing interest in hosting the U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen. 

“Despite no shortage of challenges this season, our teams are meeting them head-on, and Nationals caps off our biggest event year ever, thanks to amazing venues, comprehensive safety protocols, and a deep appreciation for athletic achievement,” says John Rigney, senior vice president, Aspen Snowmass. “Aspen and its alpine racing community are thrilled to give Team USA athletes the opportunity to compete for a National Championship this year at Aspen Highlands.”

Ski racing history runs deep in the Roaring Fork Valley, as the resort not only hosted the first World Championships outside of Europe in 1950 but has also hosted numerous FIS Ski World Cup events for both men and women. Aspen hosted the 2017 World Cup Finals, where two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin won her emotional (first) overall title. Aspen is scheduled to host the U.S. Alpine Tech Championships in 2022.

“The Stapleton Training Center at Aspen Highlands continues to be an incredible resource for our Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club athletes,” says Mark Godomsky, Executive Director AVSC. “In a season where many clubs have struggled to secure consistent and quality training space, we feel incredibly lucky to work with Aspen Snowmass to provide safe, productive training on this world-class venue. We are excited to welcome others to Aspen Highlands and the Stapleton Training Center this spring for U.S. Alpine Championships and are grateful for the opportunity to host races, especially a series of this caliber, this season.”

The 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen is contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the local organizing committee, and Aspen Snowmass are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities. 

2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen - Event Schedule
Monday, April 5, Slalom National Championships, Men
Tuesday, April 6, Giant Slalom National Championships, Men
Wednesday, April 7, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Men
Thursday, April 8, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Junior Championships, Men
Friday, April 9, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Saturday, April 10, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Sunday, April 11, Downhill National Championships, Men/Women
Monday, April 12, Downhill National Junior Championships, Men/Women
Tuesday, April 13, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Women
Wednesday, April 14, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Junior Championships, Women
Thursday, April 15, Giant Slalom National Championships, Women
Friday, April 16, Slalom National Championships, Women

Media Note
For a selection of ski racing images at Aspen Snowmass, click here. 

Photo credit goes to the photographer listed.

Media Contacts:
Aspen Snowmass
Tucker Vest Burton, (970) 300-7020, tvestburton@aspensnowmass.com  

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Megan Harrod, (435) 714-9393, megan.harrod@usskiandsnowboard.org

About Aspen Snowmass
Established in 1946, Aspen Snowmass owns and operates four mountains – Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk - creating premium, sustainable and transformative experiences in recreation, culture and nature. In addition, the company runs the award-winning Ski & Snowboard Schools of Aspen Snowmass, Four Mountain Sports rental and retail shops, and a collection of sustainably-sourced on-mountain food & beverage outlets. Aspen Snowmass works to drive positive social change through climate, community, and minority group advocacy and investment. For more information about Aspen Snowmass, visit www.aspensnowmass.com. Follow @aspensnowmass on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

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